The director of the Michigan Department of Transportationand other MDOT officials made a case Monday for a slew of upcoming improvements to U.S. 23 between Brighton and Ann Arbor, which include aFlexRoute electronic signage system, opening a shoulder to traffic during peak congestion,new roundabouts, and otherbridge and ramp work.
The informational meeting was held at MDOT's Transportation Service Center in the Brighton area, and officials said the work will improve the congested and aging stretch of highway.
A large construction project of many parts betweenSilver Lake Road in Green Oak Township and M-14 in the Ann Arbor areais expected to begin as soon as November and last through next year's construction season.
MDOT created a website about the U.S. 23 corridor improvements, http://flexroute23.com, which is now live.
"When I think about the U.S. 23 corridor, a couple things come to mind," MDOT Director Kirk Steudle said. "It’s old, it’s outdated, and it is really congested on the southbound in the morning and northbound at night. What this project does is embraces technology to solve those solutions."
MDOT crews willinstall overhead electronic signsalong U.S. 23 between M-36 and M-14 to manage peak-hour traffic congestion and alert motorists to a number of things.
Left-hand shoulders willopen to traffic during peak congestion — generally morning for southbound U.S. 23,evening rush hour for northbound U.S. 23and for college football traffic.
The overhead electronic signs would alert motorists when they are allow to use the shoulderswith a green arrow. A red "X" would inform drivers that shoulders cannot be used.
Story continues below MDOT video
The overhead electronic signs would be spaced out about every half-mile, and they would alert motorists to things like:
- A shoulder is open to traffic during heavy congestion.
- Lanes are open or closed to traffic up ahead.
- There is a closure ahead.
- Advanced warning of crashes and incidents.
- Real-time speed information and more.
Steudle said it has taken years to find solutions that would not break the bank during unsure economic times in the world of roads funding. The initial study on the corridor dates back to 2009.
"One of the alternatives (was)what if you just rebuilt this whole thing and add an extra lane on it," Steudle said.
"It's basically pretty cost-prohibitive, about $600 million. We're not going to get to that solution with the other priorities we have around the state and the condition of other roadways," he said.
"If you just go back 10 years ... this technology was very, very new, and it really wasn't ready. When we were doing the initial analysis back in 2009, smartphones had only been out for two years. So, technology has advanced significantly in the last six or seven years. ... This is now ready," he said.
ThisFlexRoute system, along with bridge, ramp and road work is expected to cost around $120 million.
"You don't have to put a permanent third lane out there,"MDOT UniversityRegion Engineer Paul Ajegba said.
"You have a peak-hour congestion problemin the morning and in the evening in each direction. This solves that problem and it's less expensive," Ajegba said.
He also said there would be crash-investigation sites, where vehicles could be moved out of the way of traffic.
"In this corridor, we have about an average of four accidents a day. ... Traffic can keep moving while investigation of the accident is still going on," he said.
Initial work on the upgrades will start this year.
"There will be construction going on over the winter, and then the major work is going to start next spring," Ajegba said.
MDOT officials hope to have a contractor worked out by the end of October, and construction could start within a couple weeks of that.
The following construction projects along theU.S. 23 corridor in Livingston and Washtenaw counties are expected to be completed by the end of 2017:
- Bridges will be replaced on EightMile Road, SixMile Road and North Territorial Road.
- Three single-lane roundabouts will be installed at Eight Mile Road
- Two single-lane roundabouts will be installed at North Territorial Road, and Five Mile Road will be moved east.
- The railroad bridge in Whitmore Lake and the Barker Road bridge will be widened.
- Bridge repairs are slated for Joy Road and Warren Road.
- Ramp upgrades are coming to M-36, EightMile Road, SixMile Road and North Territorial Road.
- Preventive maintenance work such as pavement repairs will be completed on U.S. 23 between Silver Lake Road to Interstate 94.
Contact Livingston Daily county and townships reporter Jennifer Eberbach at 517-548-7148 or at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
